The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 may have had an impact on the trend in some of the indicators (such as emissions to air, transport and energy) in this publication.
Municipal waste generated in Ireland was 3.2 million tonnes in 2021 up 17% from the 2001 figure of 2.7 million tonnes, but down 1.3% on the 2020 figure.
Municipal waste per capita fell from 800 kilogrammes per capita in 2006 to 564 in 2014 and was 625 kilogrammes per capita in 2021.
There was a sharp decrease in the proportion of municipal waste sent to landfill in Ireland from 74% in 2001 to 14% in 2018. In 2021, 16% of this waste sent to landfill.
The recovery rate of packaging waste in Ireland increased from 25% in 2001 to 94% in 2019, before falling to 90% in 2021.
The total weight of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) collected in Ireland fell from 51,500 tonnes in 2007 to 39,600 in 2011, before rising to 71,800 tonnes in 2021.
| Year | Waste collected |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 51.53 |
| 2008 | 50.12 |
| 2009 | 44.812 |
| 2010 | 44.431 |
| 2011 | 39.628 |
| 2012 | 41.177 |
| 2013 | 42.629 |
| 2014 | 44.911 |
| 2015 | 48.626 |
| 2016 | 51.303 |
| 2017 | 52.312 |
| 2018 | 62.714 |
| 2019 | 62.638 |
| 2020 | 64.856 |
| 2021 | 71.811 |
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